Music and Lyrics

Music and Lyrics is a 2007 American musical romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Marc Lawrence. It focuses on the relationship that evolves between a former pop music idol (of the fictional band PoP!) and an aspiring writer as they struggle to compose a song for a reigning pop diva. The film was released on February 14, 2007, by Warner Bros. It received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics, who praised Grant's performance and the musical numbers but found the film simplistic, and grossed $145.9 million worldwide. Plot Alex Fletcher is a washed-up former pop star (from the British group 'PoP!') who seems happy in his "has-been" status, performing for 80s-loving fans at reunions and random locations, when his manager tells him Cora Corman, a young megastar, wants him to write a song for her, titled "Way Back Into Love". Alex is reluctant to compose again after two decades, because his strength was always the tune while his ex-partner Colin always wrote the words. However, his caring but professional manager tells him that his music career is completely doomed if he doesn't switch gears—interest in his nostalgia concerts is dwindling. During an unsuccessful attempt to compose the song in collaboration with a "very hip, very edgy" lyricist, Alex discovers that the woman who is temporarily watering his plants, Sophie Fisher, has a talent for writing lyrics. Alex, on a 48-hour deadline to write the song, asks her to help him, but she refuses multiple times, to the chagrin of her older sister Rhonda, who happens to be a huge fan of Alex. It's not until Alex composes a lovely song with some of Sophie's lyrics and plays it for her that she realizes they could do it. Over the next few days, they grow closer while writing the words and music together. Sophie reveals she lost confidence in herself and abandoned writing after a disastrous romance with her English professor Sloan Cates.